Official Tibet Travel Guide – Must-See for Beginners (Part 1)

1. How’s the ambit in Tibet? Is it hot in summer? Is it actual algid in winter?

Tibet is in a top plateau, and it belongs to archetypal featherlike appropriate climate. Climates are absolutely altered in altered areas of Tibet. The eastern Tibet which is at a lower acclivity is warmer than western Tibet. In some abundance areas, there are four seasons at the aforementioned time in altered altitude. The acclimate in a day varies greatly, too. The night is algid while the day is warm. It spans 12-15 degrees centigrade in a alone day.

Climate in southeastern Tibet including Nyingchi and Chamdo is balmy with an boilerplate temperature of eight degrees centigrade; while in western Tibet (Shigatse and Nagqu) is absolutely algid with an boilerplate temperature beneath aught degree.

However in the axial breadth of Tibet, the ambit of Lhasa and Tsedang is added favorable for traveling. Travelers can appointment these two areas all year around, not too hot in summer and not too algid in winter.

2. How is the alley action in backing division in Tibet? Charge I yield any rainproof with me?

The backing division in Tibet is mainly from June to August and it does accept a actual bad appulse on the roads. However, there are abounding clue aliment workers and bounded army would aswell accord admonition to restore the roads. About speaking, it abandoned takes a few hours to accomplish the anchorage achievable again. As for the rainproof, you are appropriate to yield raincoat, rain-proof trousers and shoes if you wish to trek, ascend the abundance or ride a bike. If you accept accumulation tours organized by some biking agencies, usually you don’t charge to yield rainproof with you, because Tibet about rains at night and the acclimate is absolutely acceptable in the daytime. Besides, the day-tripper bus is consistently forth with you.

3. What is the best time to biking to Tibet?

Generally speaking, aboriginal April is the alpha of biking season, which lasts to mid-June if a ample bulk of Chinese travelers blitz to Tibet for summer holiday. Late June to the end of National Anniversary is the aiguille biking division if some important festivals captivated in Tibet, like Shoton Festival, Gyantse Dawa Festival and Nagqu horse benumbed Festival. Afterwards mid October, Tibet turns to winter and as the visitors abate greatly, added than bisected of hotels are bankrupt for the poor reservation.

As for the best time to travel, it depends on your biking requirement.

1. If you wish an acutely bargain price, go to Tibet in winter, from December to next March. All the things are absolutely cheap; even the day-tripper sites action 30-50% abatement on access fee. Hotels are cheap, too. You can adore 5 brilliant hotels with beneath than 100USD including breakfast. Compared with traveling in August, the bulk of a winter bout is abandoned 50%-60% of a summer tour. Because of the poor bulk of visitors, the Potala Palace allows you to absorb even a accomplished day in it. Besides, the monks are not active and accept additional time to babble with you.

2. If you like trekking, do it at May or September if the cloudburst will never bother you and the acclimate is balmy and pleasant.

3. If you adulation Mt.Everest and wish to see the bright face of it, try to abstain the condensate division and blurred weather.

4. If you adulation to appointment the grass acreage in arctic Tibet, do the bout in July if the flowers blossom in all-inclusive acreage and groups of yak and sheep, Tibetan itinerant tents advance all over the grassland.

5. Those who wish to drive to Tibet through Sichuan-Tibet artery should abstain the backing season. There will be mudslides, cave-ins and mire on assertive sections of the road, blocking the access of vehicles.

About top ambit sickness

1. What is top ambit sickness? What’s the evidence of top ambit sickness?

High ambit affection may action at top altitudes (over 2700m) due to the abbreviating availability of oxygen. It usually occurs afterward a accelerated ascendance and can usually be prevented by ascendance slowly. Affection about apparent themselves six to ten hours afterwards ascendance and about abate in one to two days, but they occasionally advance into the added austere conditions. Accepted affection of top ambit affection awning conciseness of breath, headache, fatigue, abdomen illness, dizziness, and beddy-bye disturbance.

2. How to abstain or abate top ambit sickness?

Accumulate a acceptable mood, don’t be too aflame or be too afraid about top ambit sickness. Afore visiting Tibet, get as advantageous as possible, both physically and psychologically.

Yield affliction of yourself and abstain communicable algid afore traveling to Tibet, and not to yield battery at the aboriginal two canicule afterwards you are in Lhasa to abstain getting cold, or you will calmly ache from ambit affection beneath anemic concrete condition.

Do not booze any booze on the aboriginal two canicule if you are in Tibet. Booze affluence of baptize and eat light, high-carbohydrate commons for added energy.

Do not run, jump or do some demanding jobs at the aboriginal two days. Getting peaceful and accepting a acceptable blow are important.

Already you accept the affection of ambit sickness, yield some anesthetic (it is said that it’s accessible to accept some adulate tea if you can acclimate to the acidity of it) and don’t go higher. Medication and oxygen aswell admonition to anticipate ambit sickness. Balmy ambit affection affection can be advised with able medication. If medication and oxygen do not abate the symptoms, go to hospital or abandon anon to a safe altitude!

Oxygen can admonition you abate the affection of ambit sickness, but do not use it too about in Lhasa while your affection of ambit affection are not serious. If you feel arctic or feel actual uncomfortable, you should go to the abutting hospital accessible in the area.

In accession to the accustomed medications for traveling it is appropriate to accompany top ambit medication. Seek suggestions from your doctor.

3. What should I do if I accept top ambit affection afterwards accession in Tibet?

There are hospitals in abounding ample cities in Tibet. You may acclimate to balmy top ambit affection by yourself boring and you may go to hospital if it is serious. Afterwards you accept already had top ambit sickness, you should blow well, do not move too much, accumulate eating, booze some baptize with atramentous amoroso or yield some medicine. If the top ambit affection is appealing severe, you should go to hospital, or alight to some lower places, or leave Lhasa immediately. Top ambit affection shall abandon afterwards you alight to assertive ambit and it has no aftereffect symptoms.

4. Is top ambit affection added austere if traveling to Tibet by even than by train?

Exactly, but both bureau accept their advantages and disadvantages. You are added acceptable to accept top ambit affection because you don’t accept abundant time to acclimate to the plateau ambiance gradually if you go by plane. The ambit change is anon from several hundreds meters to added than 3000 meters. While, if you go to Tibet by train, you can acclimate your physique to the top plateau ambiance boring and gradually. Then, you may abate or abstain top ambit sickness.

5. Humans with what affectionate of diseases can not go to Tibet? Do I charge concrete convenance afore travelling to Tibet?

People with the afterward diseases can not biking to Tibet:

Humans with all kinds of amoebic affection diseases, astringent arrhythmia or comatose affection amount over 100per minute, top claret burden II or above, all kinds of claret diseases and cranial vascular diseases.

Humans with abiding respiratory arrangement diseases, average bulk of adverse pulmonary diseases or above, such as bronchus expansion, emphysema and so on.

Humans with diabetes mellitus which is not controlled properly, hysteria, epilepsia and schizophrenia.

Humans with bad cold, top respiratory amplitude infections, and physique temperature aloft 38F or beneath 38F while the accomplished physique and the respiratory arrangement accept accessible symptoms, are not recommended to biking to Tibet until they’re OK.

Humans who were diagnosed to accept top ambit pulmonary edema, top ambit bookish edema, top ambit hypertension with accessible access of claret pressure, top ambit affection diseases and top ambit polycythemia.

Top accident abundant women.

If you are not abiding about your physique condition, you may accept a concrete examination. But you are not declared to do added exercise afore traveling to Tibet, for appliance will accord added burdens to your affection and you’ll charge added oxygen, which may calmly could cause top ambit sickness.

6. Why can not humans with algid go to Tibet? What should I do if I bolt a algid in Tibet?

Your accustomed arrangement shall be anemic if you bolt a algid and you may ache top ambit affection calmly because of it. Besides, astringent algid may calmly about-face to some added austere top ambit diseases, abnormally pulmonary edema, which is actual dangerous. So you are not declared to biking to Tibet afore you get rid of a cold.

While, if you bolt a algid in Tibet, things ability not be so serious, because your physique has already, to some extent, acclimate to the plateau ambiance and you can go to a doctor and yield some medicine

Permits & certificates

1. Are there any limitations or restrictions imposed on foreigners to biking to Tibet? How about across Chinese, Taiwan Compatriots and Hong Kong and Macao compatriots? How to handle it and how continued does it take?

There are some appropriate requirements for adopted travelers to Tibet. Firstly, adopted tourists to Tibet accept to be organized by biking agencies, with accepted routes. Secondly, a Tibet Biking Admittance issued by the Tibet Tourism Bureau is indispensable. The Tibet Biking Admittance accept to be acquired afore they arch to Tibet. What’s more, foreigners are not accustomed to biking abandoned in Tibet by their own, even with the biking permit. They accept to be accompanied by a accountant bout guide. Tibet biking admittance is aswell appropriate from across Chinese and Taiwan Compatriots, while Hong Kong and Macao compatriots can biking to Tibet like added Chinese aborigine with accurate Home Return Permit. Foreigners, across Chinese and Taiwan compatriots can administer for Tibet biking admittance from Tibet tourism bureau or assertive able biking agencies with accurate authorization (copies), acceptance (copies) and job certificate. Usually, it can be acquired in one anniversary and 2 to 3 canicule if you are in burning need.

2. What is Tibet Access Permit? How to get a Tibet Access Admittance and what abstracts are appropriate to get it?

Tibet Access Permit, aswell accepted as Tibet Tourism Bureau (TTB) Admittance or Tibet Visa, is the basal certificate for adopted travellers to access into Tibet. No adopted company can appointment Tibet afterwards captivation the Tibet Access Admittance in their hands. Adopted tourists are appropriate to appearance both their Chinese Acceptance and Tibet Access Admittance if they change for the boarding passes of aerial to Tibet or lath trains to Tibet.

You can get Tibet access admittance (TTB permit) by sending assertive able biking bureau the aboriginal page of your accurate authorization and a archetype of your Chinese acceptance by fax or by email, and accompaniment acutely your occupations (Foreign journalists and diplomats are not accustomed to go to Tibet as a tourist). If you are Taiwan Compatriots, forward us the copies of your MTP-Mainland Biking Permits or alleged Taiwan Compatriot Access Permit/travel certificate (commonly accepted as “Tai Bao Zheng”), and acquaint us your occupations.

If you are the citizens of Hong Kong and Macau SAR, China Re-entry Admittance for Hong Kong & Macau Compatriots is abundant to biking in Tibet. You are not appropriate to administer for the Tibet Permit.

Pay attention: If you are planning to biking to places acutely bankrupt to foreigners in Tibet, an Alien’s Biking Admittance is required.

3. What is Alien’s Biking Permit?

Except Tibet Access Permit, an Alien’s Biking Admittance is appropriate if you are planning to biking to places acutely bankrupt to foreigners in Tibet, such as Mt. Everest, Rongbuk Monastery, Mt. Kailash and Lake Manasorovar. Alien’s Biking Admittance is not bare for places in Lhasa region, towns of Shigatse and Tsetang, or ceaseless biking on Friendship Highway.

Alliens’ Biking Admittance is appropriate to appointment ‘unopened’ areas. Which is issued by the badge (Public Security Bureau, “PSB”). Usually you can administer for it already you access at Lhasa. For bout groups, our adviser will ask you for the authorization and TTB admittance and abide it to the Adopted Diplomacy Section of PSB for the Biking Permit. It commonly takes several hours and the bulk is 50 CNY/person. If you are an alone traveler, you charge to accompany bounded tours to ‘unopen’ areas, and the bounded biking agencies will align the PSB for you as well. Pay attention, there is no biking bureau can accommodate ‘PSB permit-only’ service.

Notice: If you wish to do a Tibet overland bout from Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai or Xinjiang arena to Tibet, you accept to got the PSB admittance afore your bout starts.

5. Are there any added certificates and permits may be appropriate in Tibet?

Except Tibet Access Permit, Alien’s Biking Permit, there are Aggressive Permit, Foreign-affairs admittance and added permits which may be appropriate if traveling in Tibet.

Sensitive bound are as such as Mt Kailash and eastern Tibet aswell crave a aggressive admittance and a foreign-affairs permit. For Tholing and Tsaparang in western Tibet you will aswell charge a admittance from the bounded Cultural Antiquities Department. All these will be abiding by our biking bureau one ages afore you access Tibet. The Aggressive Admittance is issued by troop while the Foreign-affair’s admittance is issued by Adopted diplomacy appointment in Lhasa. It commonly takes 10-15 alive canicule to get them all.

6. How to accord with the acceptance from Tibet to Nepal? Can I administer for Nepal acceptance in Lhasa? Is it fast? Shall I be denied?

Nepal has two embassies in China: one is in Beijing and the added is in Lhasa. It is easier and added acceptable to handle the Nepal acceptance in Lhasa as continued as you accommodate to the assertive procedures. And there are hardly any cases of denial. But the acceptance admiral don’t plan at approved time, so you are recommended to break several added canicule in Lhasa to administer for Nepal acceptance and it is added anchored if you handle the acceptance aboriginal afterwards you access in Lhasa. The accepted admiral of Nepal is in Lhasa, abreast the Norbulinka Park. Commonly you can get the acceptance in the afternoon of the next alive day if you abide the appliance and all-important abstracts in the morning of the aboriginal day. The time to abide certificate is from 10am to 12am, Monday to Friday. So, you charge plan a brace of canicule in Lhasa to delay the visa. The time to get acceptance is usually at 4pm, already you get the visa, you can fly to Kathmandu or set out to Zhangmu bound by cars or by bus.

To administer for Nepal acceptance in Lhasa, you charge adapt the aboriginal passport, 2 authorization admeasurement copies and complete a form. Your authorization accept to be accurate at atomic for the next 6 months. There are three kinds of visas according to aeon you plan to break in Neal, the 15 days, 30 canicule and the 3 months. If you are traveling to break added than 15 canicule in Nepal, it is bigger to get the acceptance in Lhasa, as the bound appointment issued 15 canicule acceptance abandoned and it is almost big-ticket to extend the acceptance in Kathmandu or Gorkaha.

You can aswell get Nepal acceptance at the border. Not far abroad from the Friendship Bridge, you can get the accession acceptance of 15 canicule break at the bound appointment with 25 USD. You charge adapt a authorization admeasurement photo and complete a anatomy as well.

What to Pack:

1. What drugs to yield if traveling to Tibet?

In the aboriginal few canicule afterwards accession in Tibet, you may acquaintance some bulk of ambit reaction. Colds, indisposition and digestive disorders are common. Yield an able accumulation of any decree medication you use regularly, including anesthetic for cold, headache, stomachache, and insect bite, diarrhea and so on, like the Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Antibiotics, throat lozenges, nasal decongestant and vitamins etc. A lot of over-the-counter medicines, such as aspirin and anti-diarrheal pills, are accessible in Lhasa, but are added difficult to access alfresco of burghal areas. It is appropriate to yield anti-altitude affection drugs to cope with oxygen deficiency. Accompany diamox pills which are believed to be able to anticipate the ambit affection effectively. Please argue your doctor above-mentioned to your biking to Tibet.

2. What aliment to yield if travelling to Tibet?You may yield some chocolate, broiled beef, hot pickled alacrity tuber, biscuit and added aliment and candy you like. You’d bigger yield aliment with top calorie. You may aswell yield some gum with you, which may admonition abate the evidence of syrigmus and headache. If traveling to limited areas of Tibet it is a acceptable abstraction to backpack some food, snacks, and bubbler water. It is not consistently simple to acquisition aliment or cooler baptize in these areas. Baptize ablution equipment, such as duke pump filters, is not necessary, as bottled mineral baptize and thermoses of above baptize are accessible everywhere throughout Tibet. Baptize ablution tablets can be advantageous during trekking. It is a acceptable abstraction to yield a acceptable superior multivitamin to supplement your diet aback a accumulation of vegetables and fruits may not be readily available.

4. What affectionate of clothes and shoes should be taken if traveling to Tibet?

Clothes

The temperatures change abundantly on the altiplano. In the arctic allotment of Tibet, humans abrasion blubbery coats all year annular (including July and August which are the hottest months in a lot of of the areas in China). The accomplished temperature is 4-5 degrees centigrade in arctic Tibet. It aswell snows in July and August.

The temperature aberration in a alone day is big. In Lhasa, the temperature in July arrives at 30 degrees centigrade at daytime, but avalanche to 10 degrees centigrade at night. Sometimes it will snow or barrage at night, so you’d bigger yield some down apparel (those with hats will better), woolen sweaters, balmy gloves, balmy and wind-proof shoes and socks. Cutting several layers of accouterment that can be calmly added or removed is the astute best aback temperatures may alter abundantly aural a alone day.

Most hotels in Tibet accept no axial heating. The air-conditioners in alone apartment do not plan able-bodied in the algid night. In winter, from November to next March, of advance you charge accompany down jackets, balmy sweaters, gloves, balmy pants, woolen hats. It is actual algid in the morning and evening. In summer, cutting a T-shirt in day time but the Jacket is all-important at auberge in the morning and evening.

During the aiguille tourism season, April, May, September and October, you charge to adapt T-shirts, overcoats and jeans, balmy sweaters. Besides, common condensate in this division makes waterproof accouterment and raingear complete necessities.

Even in summer, a down covering is all-important for those who are traveling above Lhasa and Shigatse into added limited areas such as the Everest Camp. A cape additional a sweater will plan accurately for aimless about Lhasa in summer.

Other essentials to backpack awning four or 5 pairs of affection or woolen underwear, four or 5 pairs of woolen socks, continued sleeve affection or failing absolute shirts and T-shirts. Women should abstain skirts or dresses.

Also, whenever you appointment Tibet, if your plan includes brief at Everest Base Camp or Namtso Lake, or a several canicule alfresco expedition in abundance area, to accumulate balmy is actual important. The winter clothes are a must. However, you do not charge to anguish too abundant about clothing, you can buy any affectionate of clothes you charge in Lhasa and clothes is absolutely cheap.

Shoes

It is actual important to accept a able adequate brace of boots, abnormally your biking covers limited breadth and you accept to airing for a continued distance. For example, if your biking alcove Everest Base Camp, you charge to awning 8 km from Rongpuk Monastery to EBC and back. Failing boots are fine, but Tibet can be wet and we will do all-encompassing walking, so accomplish abiding your shoes fit able-bodied and are acceptable for algid and puddles. You should aswell accept a brace of adequate and boxy sandals.

5. What certificates and abstracts should I yield with me if I biking to Tibet?

Of advance you should yield your passport, China acceptance and Tibet biking admittance with you. Or you will not be accustomed not even to get on the even or the train.

There are all-embracing four abstracts appropriate for adopted tourists who wish to biking advisedly in Tibet:

Chinese Acceptance – you can administer for in Chinese Embassy in your country;

Tibet Access Admittance – It is issued by Tibet Tourism Bureau and is a accept to for foreigners entering Tibet;

Travel Permit: It is appropriate if you are planning to biking to the bankrupt areas in Tibet, and you can access it afterwards you access in Tibet

Military Admittance – you accept to access if you are planning to biking to some aggressive acute areas.